JPS6359331B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an improvement of an air/liquid feeding device for an endoscope.

Generally, when inserting an endoscope into a body cavity to observe the body cavity wall, a gas such as air is injected into the body cavity to inflate the body cavity and create a gap between the observation window at the end of the endoscope and the body cavity wall. This is done with the required spacing.
In addition, mucus, blood, etc. adhere to the observation window of the distal end of the endoscope inserted into the body cavity or the body cavity wall, so that the observation field of view is obstructed and the affected area is hidden by the mucus. For this reason, endoscopes are designed to send a cleaning liquid to the distal end of the endoscope and spray the cleaning liquid on the observation window and the wall of the body cavity to clean it. On the other hand, since liquid remains in the endoscope's liquid feeding path and liquid feeding pipe after liquid delivery, storing the endoscope in this state after use is unsanitary as the remaining liquid may rot. In addition, the liquid may flow out during storage or corrode and damage the liquid feeding path and pipe, so be sure to drain any remaining liquid in the liquid feeding path and pipe after using the endoscope. It is necessary to do so.

FIG. 1 shows a conventional air/liquid feeding and draining device for an endoscope. In this figure, the symbol 1
is an endoscope, in which an air supply passage 5 and a liquid supply passage 6 are arranged from an air supply/liquid supply device 3 of the operating section 2 to a nozzle at the tip of the insertion section 4. An air supply pipe 7 and a liquid supply pipe 8 are connected to each other. This air supply pipe 7 is connected to an air supply pump 9, and branches off into a branch pipe 10, which is inserted into a space above the cleaning liquid 13 in a liquid tank 12 via an air/liquid supply switching device 11. The pressure pipe 14 is connected to the pressure pipe 14. Moreover, the liquid sending pipe 8 is
It communicates with a liquid suction pipe 15 inserted into the cleaning liquid 13 of the liquid tank 12 via the air/liquid feeding switching device 11 . The air/liquid feeding switching device 11 is composed of a cylinder 16 and a piston 19 having an air feeding groove 17 and a communication groove 18. Supplying the cleaning liquid into the pipe 8 or the liquid supply path 6,
It is configured to switch whether or not to supply air for draining residual liquid.

However, as shown in FIG. 1, the conventional air/liquid feeding device for an endoscope requires an air/liquid switching device 11 outside the liquid tank 12 for draining residual liquid, and also requires an air/liquid switching device 11 for draining residual liquid. It is necessary to insert and connect two pipes, the pressurizing pipe 14 and the liquid suction pipe 15, which are connected to the air/liquid switching device 11 and switched to either one, into the tank 12, which makes the connection structure complicated, and The drawback was that it interfered with operation.

This invention was made in view of the above points, and only one pipe is inserted into the liquid tank.
In addition, by providing a switching means in the liquid tank to switch the air supply pipe to the space within the liquid tank and the liquid supply pipe, the connection structure between the endoscope and the liquid tank is simplified, and because of this, It is an object of the present invention to provide an air/liquid feeding device for an endoscope in which these pipes do not get in the way during operation of the endoscope.

The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 2 to 6 show an embodiment of the present invention. In these figures, reference numeral 21 denotes an endoscope, and air passages 2 are connected from the air/liquid feeding device 23 of the operating section 22 to the nozzle 25 at the tip of the insertion section 24.
6 and a liquid feeding path 27 are arranged, and an air pump 28, a flexible air feeding pipe 30 communicating with a liquid tank 29, and a liquid feeding pipe 31 are connected to the air feeding device 23, respectively. . The above air/liquid feeding device 2
3 has an air release hole 33 penetrating in the axial direction and a liquid feeding pipe/path communication groove 34 in the cylinder 32 to which the air feeding pipe 30, the liquid feeding pipe 31, the air feeding path 26, and the liquid feeding path 27 are connected. A piston 35 having a piston 35 is slidably inserted therein, and a coil spring 37 is interposed between a flange 36 of the piston 35 and the cylinder 32 to bias the piston 35 upwardly. In this air/liquid feeding device 23, the air pipe 30 and the air passage 26 are always in communication with each other by a coil spring 37.

The air supply pipe 30 and the liquid supply pipe 31 are inserted through a flexible cable 38 connected to the operating section 22 of the endoscope 21 and led to the connection mechanism section 40 of the connector 39. This connection mechanism section 40
An air supply communication section having a branch passage 41 is formed in the section, and communicates the endoscope side air supply pipe 30 with the air supply pump side air supply pipe 30A.
A branch air supply pipe 42 whose lower end is inserted above the liquid tank 29 is connected to the branch passage 41 .
Further, within this connecting mechanism section 40, the endoscope side liquid feeding pipe 31 and the liquid tank side liquid feeding pipe 43 are connected. This liquid tank side liquid sending pipe 43 is disposed inside the branch air sending pipe 42, and its lower end is inserted near the bottom surface of the liquid tank 29. Liquid feeding switching device 4
4 is provided, and this air/liquid feeding switching device 44
In this case, an inner tube 48 having an operating lever 47 provided on the outer periphery of the protrusion is rotatably installed in an outer tube 46 whose opening upper end protrudes from the tank lid body 45 and whose lower end is inserted into the bottom surface of the liquid tank 29. The branch air supply pipe 42, into which the liquid tank side liquid supply pipe 43 is inserted, is inserted and connected to the inner pipe 48 in an airtight manner. Further, an air supply port 49 is formed in the outer tube 46 in a space above the inside of the liquid tank 29, and a liquid supply port 51 is formed in the cleaning liquid 50 near the bottom of the liquid tank 29. On the other hand, the inner tube 48 is formed with an air supply port 52 at a position that matches the air supply port 49 of the outer tube 46 and a liquid supply port 54 at a position that matches the liquid supply port 51 of the outer tube 46. There is. The outer tube 46 is made of an elastic member such as polyurethane rubber, and when the inner tube 48 is arranged as shown in FIG. 5, the outer tube 46 compresses the inner tube 48 so as to maintain airtightness inside the inner tube 48. It is configured like this. Further, the branch air supply pipe 42 is formed to be flexible so that it can sufficiently follow the rotation of the inner pipe 48.

With such a configuration, in order to perform an air supply operation, the air release hole 33 of the piston 35 of the air/liquid supply device 23 provided in the operation section 22 of the endoscope 21 is closed with a finger, and
Air supplied from the air pump 28 through the air pipe 30 is sent to the air path 26 and discharged from the nozzle 25 at the tip. Next, in order to perform a liquid feeding operation, the piston 35 of the air/liquid feeding device 23 is pushed against the biasing force of the coil spring 37, and the liquid feeding pipe 3
1 and the liquid feeding path 27 through the communication groove 34, and as shown in FIG. The inner tube 48 is rotated so that the air inlet 52 and the liquid inlet 54 of the tube 48 are aligned and communicate with each other. In this state, the air from the air supply pump 28 is transferred to the air supply pipe 30A,
The air/liquid feeding switching device 4 passes through the branched air feeding pipe 42.
4 and enters the liquid tank 29 through the air supply ports 49 and 52 to apply pressure to the liquid surface. As a result, the cleaning liquid is sent to the liquid sending pipes 43 and 31 through the liquid feeding ports 51 and 54, and is discharged from the nozzle 25 at the tip of the endoscope 21 through the liquid feeding path 27.

After using the endoscope 21, in order to remove the remaining liquid in the liquid feeding pipe 31 and liquid feeding path 27, as shown in FIG. and rotate the air inlet 52 and liquid inlet 5.
4 is closed with an outer tube 46. In this state,
When the piston 35 is pushed to connect the liquid sending pipe 31 and the liquid sending path 27, the air sent from the air pump 28 to the air sending pipe 30A and the branch air sending pipe 42 is transferred to the inside of the air/liquid feeding switching device 44. The liquid is supplied into the tube 48 and further passes through the liquid sending pipes 43 and 31, and is discharged from the nozzle 25 at the tip of the endoscope 21 from the feeding path 27. By discharging this air, all the liquid remaining in the liquid sending pipe 31 and the liquid sending path 27 is removed to the outside.

In this invention, the type of gas to be supplied and the type of liquid to be supplied are not limited.

As described above, according to the present invention, the connection structure between the endoscope and the liquid tank can be simplified, and as a result, the air and liquid supply pipes do not get in the way when operating the endoscope.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional air/liquid feeding device, FIGS. 2 to 6 are an embodiment of the air/liquid feeding device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an overall schematic diagram, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the switching device showing the liquid feeding state, FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the switching device showing the residual liquid removal state, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the switching device. It is. 21...Endoscope, 26...Air supply path, 27...Liquid supply path, 28...Air supply pump, 29...Liquid tank,
30, 42... Air feeding pipe, 31, 43... Liquid feeding pipe, 44... Air/liquid feeding switching device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An air pump, a liquid tank, and an air pipe that communicates with one end at a position above the liquid tank and communicates with the air pump and the air passage of the endoscope at the other end; A liquid feeding pipe having one end communicating with the liquid feeding path of the endoscope at a lower position in the tank and the other end communicating with the liquid feeding path of the endoscope, and inside one end side of the air feeding pipe communicating with the liquid tank. A liquid supply pipe communicating with the liquid tank is disposed, and the air supply pipe and the liquid tank can be communicated and disconnected from each other at least at the upper position within the liquid tank, and at least at the lower position within the liquid tank. Connect the liquid sending pipe and the liquid tank.
An air/liquid feeding switching means is provided in the liquid tank so that the air/liquid feeding pipe can be disconnected, and the air/liquid feeding pipe can communicate with each other while the air feeding pipe and the liquid feeding pipe are in a state where the air feeding pipe and the liquid feeding pipe are respectively cut off from the liquid tank. An air/liquid feeding device for an endoscope, characterized in that: